%0 Journal Article
%T Correlates of Dual-Method Contraceptive Use: An Analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth (2006¨C2008)
%A David L. Eisenberg
%A Jenifer E. Allsworth
%A Qiuhong Zhao
%A Jeffrey F. Peipert
%J Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/717163
%X Objective. To analyze a nationally representative sample of women for correlates of dual-contraceptive-method use. Materials and Methods. We conducted an analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth, 2006¨C2008, a cross-sectional survey of reproductive-aged women in the United States. Results. Dual method use was reported by 7.3% of the 5,178 women in the sample. Correlates of higher rates of dual-contraceptive-method use included age younger than 36 years and nonmarried marital status. Lower rates of dual method use were observed for women with less than a high-school education and women without consistent health insurance in the past year. Compared to women using oral contraceptives, use of the contraceptive injection or long-acting reversible contraception was associated with lower dual-method use. Conclusions. The overall rate of dual-method use in the USA is low. Future interventions to promote dual method use should target high-risk groups with modifiable risk factors. 1. Introduction Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy are important and costly public health issues. The United States has an estimated incidence of 19 million cases of STIs each year which incurs $15.9 billion in cost to the health care system [1, 2] and unintended pregnancy rates continue to hover at nearly 50% [3]. One proposed strategy to reduce the risks of unintended pregnancy and STI is the promotion of dual-contraceptive-method use. Dual-method protection includes use of a highly effective pregnancy prevention in conjunction with a barrier (e.g., male condom). The male condom is the most commonly used method of sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, whereas the oral contraceptive pill and female sterilization are the most common methods of pregnancy prevention in the USA [4]. The burden of unintended pregnancy and STIs is greater among younger and economically disadvantaged men and women [3, 5]. While nearly all women report having used birth control and most have used a condom [4], dual-method use is relatively uncommon. An analysis of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) noted 6.6% of young women using oral contraceptives also used a condom at last intercourse [6]. According to another study of the YRBS, use of dual-contraceptive methods increased from 3.2% in 1991 to 7.2% in 2001 [7]. A more recent publication reviewing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health noted 14¨C25% of participants report using dual methods at last intercourse [8]. Most of the previous research focused on adolescents or
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/idog/2012/717163/